Members of two local Toastmasters clubs – the Bluewater Toastmasters in Owen Sound and Saugeen Toastmasters in Hanover, won big the District 86 fall conference in King City.
Club members David Bray (Bluewater) and Tammy Hunt (Saugeen) won the highest Toastmasters award, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).
“About one per cent of toastmasters worldwide receive the DTM award,” Bray said in a telephone interview, Nov. 22.
Currently, there are 300,000 Toastmaster members around the globe, he said.
“The award itself doesn’t mean a lot to me; what was important to me was I wanted to be a better speaker.”
Bray said through Toastmasters, he’s learned to communicate more effectively – including learning to listen better.
“No speech goes unevaluated,” he said, with effective listening skills leading to the ability to give constructive feedback to others.
“Everybody needs improvement in communication,” he said.
“When I speak I tend to speak as a techie, so I need to remember to speak in English,” Bray said, referring to his professional background.
Bray, who lives in Lion’s Head, said he is now “mostly retired.” He has been a member of the Owen Sound club for about three and a half years.
To earn the DTM, he has made “at least 45 speeches” he said. Award recipients must also take on leadership roles in the organization and either start a new club or build up an existing one. To that end, Bray said he helped start a new club in Thornbury and helped increase membership in the Kincardine club.
“I’ve always been confident,” Bray said.
He goes to Toastmasters because “you meet the most wonderful people,” he said, describing them as “enthusiastic teddy bears with one per cent porcupines.”